


Assigned

by EaSnowPw



Series: Assigned [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Stephen Strange, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Background Character Death, Child Abandonment, Domestic Fluff, Ex Stony, Falling In Love, Family Feels, First Kiss, First Time, Government, Hurt Stephen Strange, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Modern Era, Omega Tony Stark, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Smut, but barely mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:47:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23787331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EaSnowPw/pseuds/EaSnowPw
Summary: Tony had simply demanded a rational partner, someone cold and formal. He just needed an assigned alpha to please the government. Fuck feelings. He wasn't sure whether he'd been assigned a doctor because of his pregnancy (despite his speciality, Stephen insisted that he remembered everything from his rotations), but Tony appreciated that whatever algorithms the government used usually paired equally educated people."I guess this is it, little one," Tony muttered, hand over his belly. "This is home."ORTony just needed to satisfy the government. After all, it was illegal for him to live alone.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: Assigned [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2073975
Comments: 295
Kudos: 1097
Collections: Snow's ironstrange dump





	1. New

**Author's Note:**

> So here we have a new ABO! It's mostly written, I'm just polishing it as we go. I'm trying the chapters format this time. Wish me luck! :D

Tony got settled on his own into his new assigned apartment. He never would have thought it would come to this. He'd been with Steve since he'd entered the system and after 5 years, he was thinking of suggesting marriage to the alpha. Now, 6 years in, they'd both requested new partners. Steve had even specified which partner, but Tony had simply demanded a rational partner, someone cold and formal. He just needed an assigned alpha. Fuck feelings.

Not to mention that nobody looking for marriage would accept a pregnant omega. Someone who only wanted to please the government would just take anyone quiet and enjoy the bigger apartment provided. And Tony got huge apartments because he needed space for his workshop. Now, with a pup, they practically got double the normal allotted space.

His alpha had already brought his suitcases, but he would unpack after work. Stephen Strange. Excuse him, DOCTOR Stephen Strange. He wasn't sure whether he'd been assigned a doctor because of his pregnancy (despite his speciality, Stephen insisted that he remembered everything from his rotations), but Tony appreciated that whatever algorithms the government used usually paired equally educated people. Tony had gotten his doctorate while dating Steve, so they would never meet again. Probably.

"I guess this is it, little one," Tony muttered, hand over his belly. He was just two months along. Still new. Still invisible. Still vulnerable. The chances of miscarriage were high until the 3rd (ish) month, especially given his "divorce". Omegas with no alphas had huge rates of miscarriage, which Stephen had generously pointed out. He had agreed to help in that aspect, but he'd warned Tony not to get his hopes up. Too late. Tony wanted his little peanut. "This is home."

He spent the day unpacking everything. He took over half of the master bedroom, bathroom and kitchen and most of the lab. Maybe Stephen would be interested in helping with his medical projects? Maybe. He had informed Tony that he spent most of his time at the hospital or working. That was more than fine for the omega. He didn’t want a new lover. He wanted to be alone.

True to his word, the alpha got home late. Tony had already cooked dinner, so his partner could eat and start unpacking.

"How was work?"

"It was fine. Christine asked me to help in her butcher shop again, but it was a lost cause. I performed the extraction and discovered a tumour," Stephen began before he delved into a long and complicated speech about the rest of his day. He used a lot of medical terms, forcing Tony to ask about them, which the omega suspected was on purpose. "And you?"

"I unpacked." He mentally vowed to get his revenge in the near future.

Stephen looked around the place. It did seem a bit more lived in, but his new partner seemed to have allowed him space for his own belongings.

"I have a piano," the alpha informed. "It should arrive tomorrow around 4. Can you-"

"I'll be home."

"Good. Put it in the living room." He got up and went to check the room, humming in thought. "Here. Facing... that way."

"Ok."

Tony washed the plates while Stephen unpacked some of his stuff before he went to bed. He had to be at the hospital at 8 the next morning.

Tony went to bed a bit later, accidentally jostling his partner a bit when he settled in under the cover. Stephen groaned a complaint, then wrapped an arm around his waist and dragged him closer, gluing Tony's back to his front. The omega could feel his breath on the back of his neck.

Tony's protests died in his throat. He wanted a healthy baby, didn't he? It didn't matter that he was still getting acquainted to his new alpha, they had to speed up their relationship if Tony wanted his little one to make it.

* * *

A few weeks later, Tony woke up with the distinct impression that his little one wouldn't make it. His belly hurt. He was having cramps similar to his heats, just so much stronger. He had Jarvis call his obgyn, but they just told him to come when the cramps went away. Maybe stay in bed for as long as possible.

Stephen had been working the night shift, so he arrived in the morning to find his omega whining pitifully, curled up in bed.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Is it the baby?"

"I think I'm losing them," Tony muttered, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Are you bleeding?"

"No, but I have cramps."

"Ok." The tired alpha ran a hand through his hair, then turned around and left. He returned with a syrup. "Take this."

"What is it?"

"Ventolin. It's usually for asthma, but it can relax the uterus. My previous omega forgot it and never asked for it back," he explained.

Tony obediently swallowed the spoonfuls. He figured there wasn't much at stake anyway. If he was losing his baby anyway, at least he'd tried something. Stephen went to take a shower, brush his teeth and do whatever he did in the bathroom, then came out in his pyjamas. He kissed Tony's temple before settling down behind him.

"Wake me if you start bleeding or anything bad happens," he instructed before elapsing into silence, probably falling asleep.

Tony's cramps were soon lessening in intensity, so at least he could hope. He allowed himself an optimistic nap for the time being. His baby would be fine.

* * *

"How is he?" Rhodey asked while Tony was fitting his braces. The omega was starting to have a belly at this point, but he could still wear his normal clothes for the time being.

"He's ok," he replied with a shrug. "I mean... he's what I hoped. Good for the baby."

"You mean you two are affectionate?"

"He is. I... um, well, I tried, but it wasn't appreciated so I stopped. Can you lift your left leg?"

Rhodey followed the command while talking.

"What do you mean by that? You tried to kiss him or what?"

"Not really. I cooked him dinner. I usually cook, mainly because his schedule is a nightmare so there's that. I kissed his cheek when I put the plate down and he leaned away. Seriously, he looked at me weird like I had the plague or something." Tony chuckled. He'd been more amused than offended. "But I learned what makes him tick so we're good."

"Ok, but it sounds like you're bending over a bit."

"Right leg back. Ok, put it down." Tony began fixing a mechanism on his friend's hip. "I know what you mean, but consider this: he spoons me at night. He kissed my belly a few times. He does that despite being uncomfortable with it, because my baby needs it. And he helps around the house whenever possible. I sent him some new ideas I had for you and he's been helping with those. If I were you, I wouldn't shit where I eat."

"Whatever, Tones. Are you happy at least?"

"Don't joke, Rhodey-bear. Of course I'm not happy. I'm still heartbroken from Steve and constantly worried about the little one. But I didn't ask for this alpha in order to be happy. He's just what I need to get back on my feet. I wanted to be alone. Well, most of the time he's either away, working or sleeping. I'm not happy, but I'm as good as I can be."

"What's his deal, anyway?" Rhodey asked.

"Can you kneel?" Tony waited for his friend to test both knees before answering. "He's just a typical workaholic. I hope he won't complain too much about the baby. We're done here. Want a beer?"

"You're pregnant," the alpha reminded his friend. Still, he opened the offered can.

"So? Stephen drinks some really expensive wine, but we keep beers for guests. Jarvis, tell Stephen Rhodey drank the beer when he opens the fridge."

The alpha chuckled, knocking Tony's glass of water with his bottle before he drank.


	2. Gala

"I have a gala this Saturday."

"Want me to come along?" Tony asked in turn. Stephen seemed surprised. "You can bring a plus one, right? Or is Christine coming?"

"No. Well, she's her own guest, but why would you come?"

"To drive you to it and back, to eat the offered food and to meet some doctors. I'm your partner. It makes sense."

"You never asked me to come to your parties," the alpha pointed out.

"You're always working. Honestly? Fixing someone's brain is more important than sitting next to me looking pretty. But as it happens, I'm expanding the medical division, so I'll need a few more doctors. I doubt you'd appreciate being given a pile of business cards and the job of disseminating them, so there you have it. I'm your plus one," Tony explained. Halfway through his speech, he'd already decided he was going even if Stephen didn't want them to go together.

"Fine."

The lack of protest was half expected. Stephen had a thinly veiled appreciation for Tony's work.

* * *

"Does this suit make me look pregnant?" Tony was in a good mood. He didn't know why, he just was. He wanted to cozy up to Stephen and ask him to play with childish petulance. He already saw the alpha as his due to their physical proximity. The alpha’s scent no longer felt foreign, but it reminded him of home.

"No. Your pregnant belly makes you look pregnant." Stephen, too, seemed less tense. Not relaxed, per say, but more mouthy.

"Rude. But true." Tony fondly rubbed his belly. After that scare, his pregnancy had been smooth sailing. His little munchkin was now out of the risk zone and their chances of being born healthy and on term were increasing each day. "Why are you always so grumpy?"

"I'm not grumpy." Stephen rolled his eyes. "I'm just goal-oriented."

"I can see that as being true while you're at work. But home? Who are you trying to impress? I'm your omega. We might end up banging sometime. This posturing is useless."

Stephen finished doing his tie in silence. Tony felt the mood sour, so he kept his mouth shut, even if he wanted to keep pressing. They weren't that close yet, though, were they? Tony had said his piece. Stephen would either relax or keep being like that, but the omega couldn't reprogram him.

They soon got in the car. Tony was driving. Mostly to prove to Stephen that he could. The alpha would relax once he saw that his ride back wouldn't get them intimate with a tree.

"Has it occurred to you that this is who I truly am?" Stephen asked after a few minutes on the road.

"It has," Tony admitted, briefly glancing at his alpha. "And it's a sound suggestion, but little Donut over here disagrees."

Tony's entire theory was based on Stephen's behaviour regarding the pregnancy. It wasn't efficient, taking an already pregnant omega. It wasn't productive, waking up to find the bathroom taken because Tony was having morning sickness again. It wasn't useful, having to reassure him and act romantic when/if he didn't feel that way towards the other. It was anything but goal-oriented and the end result was a baby. A tiny newborn who would cry night and day, who would need feeding and diaper changes and love and attention, who would wear them both out even if Tony was the only one actually providing them. So why on earth would someone like Stephen accept a pregnant omega and do his best to help him save the baby? He must have had other options.

"I'm not an asshole," the alpha retorted. And sure, that was a solid argument _if he hadn't known_ , but the computer probably highlighted the word _**pregnant** _in Tony's file.

"And tonight is probably not the best time to emotionally bond," Tony acquiesced.

Stephen didn't answer.

* * *

It turned out that Stephen and Christine were receiving an award. Each said a short speech, enjoyed their 5 minutes of fame, then returned to their table, trophy in hand. After all the awards were given, people began mingling.

"Congratulations, Strange," an alpha told him. Tony noticed, to his amusement, how Stephen did his best angry cat impression. The other had made the unforgivable mistake of not mentioning his title.

"Thank you, Dr West."

"I was wondering if you would perhaps consider me for your next project?"

"If you have anything of value to contribute to it."

Tony watched the exchange from his chair, trying to figure out whether recruiting Dr West would be an insult to his partner or not. Christine seemed to take pity on him, because she leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"That's Nicodemus West. They can't stand each other, but Stephen's a better neurosurgeon," she explained.

"No kidding. By the way, Tony Stark." He offered a hand, smiling when she shook it.

"Christine Palmer. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Do you have something like an user manual about my partner?" he joked. Tough crowd. She didn't seem amused. "I don't get him." He made a point to rest his hand on his belly.

The woman sighed, watching the two alphas politely insult each other. She didn’t seem to want to be there.

"Let's get something to eat."

Stephen glanced at them as they walked towards the buffet, but didn't say anything. Tony and Christine filled their plates together.

"You're wondering why he accepted you," she began.

"Yes. I mean, with the baby and everything. Does he secretly like babies?" Tony asked, more to lead the conversation his way.

"It wasn't because of your pregnancy. It was despite it. I don't know if you know, but there are more highly educated alphas than omegas or women. However, there are a lot of women and omegas who seek a rich partner, some even with college degrees. Stephen has run out of patience for those," she explained.

"So he took me because I wouldn't be after his money." He was probably richer than Stephen, anyway.

"Yes."

Well, that put things into a new light.

"That explains a lot. Thank you.” Ok, enough about Stephen. Tony had more questions, but he had come here for a reason. “Now, talking about less private, but more enjoyable topics, can I interest you in a research project?"

* * *

An hour later, Tony was on stage. All eyes were on him.

"Ok, ok," he quieted down the room. "Artificial organs, anyone?" It felt less like he was asking for ideas and more like he was hosting a game of bingo. Either way, he was enjoying himself.

"Heart!"

"Yes! One over there!" the omega called.

"Kidneys! Dialysis sucks!"

"Yes!"

"Aren't you feeling overshadowed by your partner?" Wong, a cardiologist, asked his friend who was sipping at his champagne, away from the big group.

"It is a new feeling," Stephen admitted, "but I'll take this over my old partners any day."

"You have terrible luck."

"Do something about the RMN!"

"I am actually working on that!" Tony was soaking up the attention like a sponge. "My partner hates that thing too!"

Wong gave his friend a meaningful look. Stephen shrugged. Of course Tony had first come to him, but now he needed more people. Stephen wasn't sure how he was feeling. He was jealous, yes, that people weren't paying attention to him. Still, there was another feeling. Pride? Huh. He was proud of his omega, surprisingly. Yeah. He was tempted to go up there and openly declare that yes, that was his omega. Everyone else could fuck right off.

Still, he had his own pride. He kept to himself the rest of the night.

* * *

"Are you angry with me?" Tony asked on their way home.

"No. Why would I be?" Stephen replied, fiddling with his phone.

"I eclipsed you." And while Steve had never openly told him to stop, it had been obvious that Tony's behaviour had been making him uncomfortable. Other alphas Tony had been with had been more vocal. He was too loud for an omega, too much of a presence, erasing his partners. Most alphas felt intimidated and even insulted that their partner would be so popular to their detriment. He had been called names. He didn't expect Stephen to stoop that low, but the alpha was surprisingly chill with everything.

"That's ok. I don't particularly enjoy being the centre of attention."

"Really?" Tony asked in disbelief. "You?"

"I enjoy receiving the prize," the alpha explained with an eye roll. "It's the schmoozing afterwards I can do without." So all in all, the evening had gone in his favour. "I hope you found what you were looking for."

"Well, some interviews will obviously have to follow, but people seemed interested." He chuckled at Stephen's scoff. That had been an understatement. "I'm optimistic."

"I'm happy for you."

Despite the lack of emotion behind the words, Tony took them. No emotion was better than negative emotion.

"Thank you."


	3. First Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mind the tags, please. Before every chapter
> 
> When I come across something, I'll tell you here too. This time we only have:
> 
> Warning: Unnamed Characted Death, Hurt Stephen Strange

Tony was 6 months pregnant when his partner came home early. Jarvis had alerted him. The omega waved away his holograms and gave a few orders for his 3D printer, then went to the kitchen, where his alpha was fixing himself a meal. Lunch? Dinner? Who was Tony to judge?

"What are you making?" he asked.

"If you don't mind, I would like to be alone right now."

Tony hesitated. Stephen had an obvious preference for solitude, but he had never outright demanded it. Something was wrong.

"Stephen?"

"I'm making enough pasta for both of us if you insist on eating together," he added evenly. Coldly. It was a clear dismissal.

"Need a hand?" he offered. The omega didn’t want to leave. He wanted to help. His partner was hurting and he didn’t know what to do.

"Not really..." The alpha hummed in thought. Tony wasn't going away, was he? Might as well give him something to do. "Sauce?"

"On it."

They worked in silence, like usual, but it was a different kind of silence. It felt tense and loaded. Tony knew that Stephen had a big surgery scheduled that day. Something about a child? He just knew it was complicated and right up Stephen's alley. Had something gone wrong? Was that why Stephen was home early?

Eating was also silent, with Tony talking a bit about his day, but stopping due to lack of response. Stephen washed the dishes (for once), then went straight to his piano. Tony followed, more out of curiosity. He had rarely heard him play, but he was decent. It was obvious that something was bothering his alpha. Normally (with Steve or literally any other person on the planet), Tony would have just gone over and awkwardly bent to hug him from behind, silently offering comfort. However, Stephen had given all the indications that he wanted to be left alone and Tony had no idea whether the alpha would even appreciate his involvement. Maybe he would, maybe he would blow up in his face. As it was, all Tony could do was listen to the spoken message. He left his alpha to his own devices and finished in his workshop. 

In the evening, Stephen was still at the piano, but he had obviously slowed down. Tony went to him, unsure. He could feel the other's tension and he looked even more exhausted than usual. The urge to hug him was still pretty strong.

"Come to bed."

The alpha nodded and obediently followed him to their room. Soon enough, they were both in bed, as per usual, Stephen curled around Tony's back. The omega managed to intertwine their fingers on his belly.

"Talk to me?" he offered.

No answer, not that he had expected one.

"Stephen, I'm your partner and we're in bed. Whatever's eating at you, this is a safe space."

Something shifted in the air, but Tony didn't hold his breath. It was like trying to talk to a wall most days. Then the alpha briefly squeezed him before he relaxed forcibly, probably to avoid hurting the baby.

"I lost her," came the whisper. Tony sighed. He'd guessed that much. "I was halfway through and it was going well, but then she just..." His breath hitched, like he was crying. "We tried everything, but we couldn't bring her back."

Tony rolled to his back. Stephen hurried to tuck himself against his shoulder, sobbing. The omega just held him, slowly rubbing his back.

"You did all you could," he soothed. "I'm sure you did all you could." His alpha was the best in his field. Nobody could have done better. Still, saying that would probably offer little comfort. The ending was the same.

The surgeon fisted his hand in his partner's shirt with a whimper. Silence followed, though Tony could feel the shaking body pressed against his. It was new for the omega, having an alpha openly cry in front of him. Obviously, he had never seen someone go through what Stephen was going through, but alphas were generally averse to displays of weakness. However, Tony would rather have this than let his partner suffer in silence. He couldn’t imagine being in his position, having to watch a child die in front of him, then going out to tell her parents. Stephen was a doctor, a healer. He was supposed to make their baby better, not come out of surgery to say- what? What could someone possibly say? _“Hey, so… you know I was supposed to save your daughter’s life? Yeah, about that…”_ What if it had been Tony’s child? The thought filled the pregnant omega with dread. How do you even live on after something like this happens to your baby?

Stephen never told him that this loss reminded him of his sister. He never said that it felt like he had failed her all over again. Tony only figured that out years later, on his own. That night, all he could do was offer a few soothing purrs, until he felt his partner fall asleep. Only then did he allow himself some rest.

* * *

In the morning, Tony woke up alone. For a moment, he entertained the thought that the previous night had been a dream, but no, he was too tired for that to be the case. Stephen soon came in from the bathroom, toweling his hair, looking worse for wear. He evenly sized up the omega.

"Good morning," Tony eventually said. Was Stephen going to act weird?

"Morning. Last night never happened." Then the alpha went to his wardrobe. He got dressed with purpose, not looking at his omega.

"Not if anybody asks. But are you really going to pretend it never happened?"

Those skilled hands were buttoning up a shirt, eyes trained to the side. Tony could see his reflection in the mirror.

"Stephen, you're human. It's ok." Tony pushed himself into a sitting position. It was starting to be uncomfortable to do so.

No answer.

"Come here."

The alpha obeyed with marked reluctance. Tony enjoyed the view of long pale legs until Stephen stopped in front of him. The omega took those surgeon hands in his, smiling up. Stoic, as usual, but he could glimpse the insecurity in the other’s eyes.

"I don't think any less of you,” he assured. “However, I will stick to my word and not tell anyone. Understood?"

"Yes." The alpha seemed to relax a bit. At this point, it was all Tony could hope for. He'd wanted to offer comfort, to encourage his partner to open up to him. He hadn't intended to make the other feel uncomfortable.

"Now help me stand up."

Stephen complied with an amused smile. Tony counted that as progress.


	4. Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Luca, for being my beta!

2 months later, Tony was lying in bed on his back on a mountain of pillows, while Stephen was rubbing his feet and ankles. He was working on the left foot, gently massaging it. Tony was in heaven or, at least, the pregnant definition of heaven. He was still swollen and uncomfortable, but his feet felt better than they had in weeks. Those surgeon hands were put to good use.

"I want you to name the baby."

Stephen looked up with wide eyes.

"What?"

"I want you to come up with Donut's big baby name," the omega reiterated.

"Why?" He hadn't contributed anything to the baby, in his eyes. Their father wasn't in the picture, ok, but Tony was. It was his child. He'd carried the pregnancy on his own.

"Because you were the only alpha in my life while I was cooking this bun so, even if we go our separate ways in a year, I want them to have something from you," Tony explained like it was obvious. He would've lost the baby had he not had an alpha around. Stephen had been accommodating and way more helpful than Tony had dared hope.

"I understand. Do you know the gender, after all?" Donut had been keeping their legs crossed at every scan.

"No. Sorry."

"That's ok." Stephen shifted to work on the other foot. "I know it's early, but are you thinking of rolling the system dice again?"

"What, asking for another partner?"

"Yes."

"I don't know. We can't really know yet, can we? Donut is still baking. Though, to be fair, having a baby around will either make us or break us." Tony shrugged.

"I understand."

"Are you?"

"You are easily my best partner to date," Stephen explained. "It may be my poor luck, but most of my previous omegas were... let's say, difficult."

"You're going to have to spell it for me."

"I need my quiet time and space. You let me have it. Others invaded it. One was needy," the alpha informed.

Tony wanted to point out that all that would end as soon as the baby was born, but he held back. Stephen had a bubble of personal space that Tony generally respected. In exchange, Stephen didn't get in his way when he got stubborn (which was a lot, particularly since he was so packed with hormones) and accepted a less-than-even space distribution in their apartment. Maybe he would let the baby slide? He'd been infinitely understanding and patient regarding the pregnancy, so it wasn't impossible that he would be decent with the baby.

"I only had Steve before you, so I don't know how lucky I am."

Stephen nodded, though it was obvious his mind was elsewhere.

"Donna Maria," he announced.

Tony's eyes widened. Maria?

"What?"

"For the baby." Stephen refused to call them Donut. Tony thought it was funny and useful for them to have a pre-birth gender neutral name. Bonus points for it not needing to be written down on anything official.

NOT IMPORTANT!

"Sounds nice. Explain."

"My sister. Your mother."

"I have never talked to you about my mother."

"You're Tony Stark," he pointed out flatly. Fair.

"Fine. Privacy completely violated. Tell me about your family in exchange."

Stephen had moved up to his calf by then, Tony's feet parked in his lap. The alpha looked down at his hands as they moved slowly, rhythmically over his partner's skin. He applied more shea butter, using the short break to rotate his wrists a bit. Tony had worn short pants to provide more access to his skin.

"I... I grew up on a farm in Nebraska. My younger brother, Victor, lives there now, with his family, but we lost touch when I left for college. My parents are dead."

"Your sister?"

"She was great, but, umm... she drowned when we were little."

Tony could tell that it was a sore spot. Stephen must have really loved his sister.

"I'm sorry." He figured changing the topic would be a good idea. No use letting Stephen dwell on bad memories. "And for a boy? FYI, I didn't get along well with my dad."

"Peter?"

"That's the best you can do?" Tony laughed.

"Give me one? It feels like you outsourced the baby-naming chore," Stephen teased.

"Well, you're a doctor. You meet people every day." Stephen's glare made him chuckle. "Edwin."

"Peter Edwin Stark," the alpha tried. "Hmm. Could be worse."

"Could also be better."

"I still have time."

"True."

Tony fondly rubbed his belly, lifting his shirt, then beckoned Stephen closer and pulled his hand to it as well. The alpha settled down next to him, smiling when they felt the baby shift. Tony realized that he felt closer to Stephen, in a way he hadn't expected. The alpha, too, was more open than he had been several weeks prior. He had become very closed off for a while after crying in Tony's arms, but now he seemed to have relaxed again, accepting the omega as his. After their months together, they were forming a connection. It was nice. 

Was this the government's plan? If so, Tony was totally on board with it.

"What about their father?" Stephen suddenly asked. He’d been wondering about that for a while. 

Scratch a while. 

Ever since he’d first met Tony, he’d been sure that this was all an overblown argument and the omega would return to his rightful alpha. He had been expecting to find a stranger in his apartment or kneeling in front of the door. Or something. Anything. So far, silence. And Tony didn’t seem to expect his alpha to come running. 

If anything, he was _moving on_. He seemed to be getting over his heartbreak and just… trying to bond with Stephen. 

Where was the baby’s father in all this? Was Stephen just a replacement, a tool for envy, maybe a rebound, or had his new partner genuinely moved on?

Tony tensed at the question. Connection gone. Slayed. Utterly wrecked.

"What about him?" the omega asked in turn.

"Does he even know?"

"No. And since I haven't been in the spotlight in years and don't plan on returning, he'll never know."

"You two have never talked about-?”

"No. I mean we agreed to try, but then we began discussing the details and we fell out. Hard." Tony shrugged. "Then he went out with his childhood friend and, well…"

"What happened?" Stephen asked gently. Surely the omega would shut him down if he was being indiscreet.

"Nothing. That was the problem. I thought it did, but it didn't. I think I was riding the hormonal high or something because I threw a huge fit." Tony sighed. For Steve, being accused of something he hadn’t even done must have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. "We filled in our forms that night and went our separate ways." The nights before they got their next partners were awkward as hell and neither had tried to fix anything.

"Just like that?"

"Yeah. Just like that. There were other things, but that was the final straw. There was no love, hadn't been for a while." Tony shrugged. 

They'd been arguing about who would stay home with the baby, their schedules, their jobs, their chores, everything. As soon as the idea of being tied together forever had been put on the table, every little annoyance became huge. 

"I don't know much about relationships, but I know you need to work for them sometimes," Stephen said simply. "Still, I think he deserves to know. If he's not a bad person per see, he should know and have a choice."

"You're probably right," the omega admitted, looking at his belly. 

Steve would probably make a good father. 

His gaze fell on Stephen's hand. He felt his proximity more than ever. His warmth, the touch of his body pressed so close... Once upon a time, Tony had been planning on having all that with Steve. Hell, he had already been seeing a wedding and the alpha hadn't even proposed back then. They could have been a proper family if only either of them was less stubborn. 

"I guess I just didn't want our breakup to be any more complicated."

No answer. That was as good as a strong disagreement, in Tony's eyes, even if he didn't know the alpha's exact thoughts. 

Stephen thought the breakup had been complicated enough on Tony's side. He understood that the baby had been a mistake, too much too soon, but the press would certainly find out, eventually, and when they did, Steve would probably want answers and most likely demand to see his child. 

Speaking of which, Donut kicked hard, making their mother wince.

"What happened?"

"Donut discovered the magic of kicking me in the kidney," Tony complained.

"Oh." Stephen rubbed his belly, then leaned down to kiss it. "Don't be mean to mommy. He loves you."

Tony distantly wondered if Steve would feel robbed of these moments.

* * *

Later, Stephen went to play the piano while Tony read a book in the living room. Donut apparently had an opinion about the music. The omega chuckled when he realized his baby was dancing.

"I think they like the piano."

"Is that so?" Stephen asked, curious. He stopped playing. The little party in Tony’s belly settled down after a few confused jerks.

"Yep. Definitely."

Tony stood up unsteadily and went to join his alpha on the bench. Stephen slid to the side to make room and helped his partner sit down. Tony sighed, parting his leg a bit further to accommodate the baby. He dragged Stephen's right hand to his belly. The alpha played a few notes with his left. Nothing.

"I think we need a genuine song," Tony suggested, moving his right hand to the keys.

"Do you play?"

“A bit. My mom insisted, but it was never my favourite pastime. Too slow for me.” Stephen hummed in disapproval, making Tony roll his eyes at him. “You know Strauss’ Blue Danube?”

“Are you suggesting that I play the left hand and you play the right?”

“Yep.”

“This should be interesting,” Stephen muttered, but got his hand into position.

“We can try. 3, 2, 1, go.”

They didn’t work well together at first, shooting each other annoyed glances. Tony hadn’t played in years, so he missed a note every now and then, but they eventually managed to sync. Donut seemed to appreciate the harmony, because they only resumed dancing when the adults started producing something resembling music. Stephen moved the hand on Tony’s belly a bit, chuckling. 

They must have worn Donut out, because they eventually stopped, settling down after a lot of twisting. Tony laughed softly, moving both hands to his belly while Stephen kept playing, changing the song. It took the omega longer than he would like to admit to recognise it.

“Are you seriously playing the intro to Game of Thrones?”

“Yes,” Stephen replied, smug. “Not so slow now, is it?”

He’d really taken that comment personally, hadn’t he?

“Guess not.” Still, Donut was resting. “Can you play a lullaby?”

“Sure.” Stephen stopped abruptly, then moved his hands around, humming a bit. He seemed to finally find the notes he'd been looking for and began playing. It was a slow song, gently lulling Tony to sleep. The omega relaxed, body going soft. He leaned against his alpha, who kept playing, slowing down after a while. Stephen ended up plucking at the keys, resting his head against Tony's, who had laid his on the alpha's shoulder.

"You should sleep," Stephen muttered, tilting his face towards his omega. He hadn’t allowed himself to consider the option, but...

Tony hummed in question, distantly aware that his partner was smelling him. That was 100 times more important than whatever he had said. Did he like Tony’s scent?

"Your back will kill you." Oh, he definitely did! His voice was a tinge deeper, imperceptibly so had Tony not been paying attention. And he hadn’t rejected the physical contact, which was a clear indication that Stephen was getting comfortable.

The alpha smelled good too. He hadn't put on any perfume on his free day, but his natural scent was fulfilling on its own.

"Sleep?" Tony asked in turn.

"It's a bit early for me," was the answer.

Tony pouted, not that Stephen could see him, but he knew it translated in his scent. The sense of smell became less sensitive with evolution but, pressed together like that, it was easy to notice any changes.

"I'll come to bed though."

Good enough. They both did their evening ablutions in silence, then settled down in bed. The omega spent a long time making a nest of pillows. It felt like his body was growing more and more uncomfortable with every passing day. Sleep had become a chore. The alpha helped him with the final adjustments. Finally, rest. 

Stephen sat down to work on his tablet, keeping it tilted away from Tony so that the light wouldn’t bother him. Tony watched his partner, enjoying the moment. He could get used to this. 1 more month to go.


	5. Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're crossing two milestones here! *throws confetti*

1 month and a half, in the end. He was overdue, but it wasn't uncommon so he sucked it up. He gave birth the natural way, with Rhodey holding his hand as he screamed and pushed. And pushed. And pushed.

He ended up with a boy, by the name of Peter James Stark (Tony had chosen the middle name). Stephen had been at work while Tony was pushing Donut out, but visited him in the evening.

"I hope you washed your hands," Tony snarked from the hospital bed.

"I deal in surgery, not infections," the alpha reminded him, bent over the crib to look at the sleeping baby. "But of course I did."

"Good. Bring him over." Stephen obediently brought the baby to his mother, carefully holding him. Tony smiled at the squishy little face. "I really want to keep calling him Donut."

"Motion denied."

"You're no fun," he complained with a chuckle. "Did you bring me chocolate?"

"Yes."

"You're the best. Coffee?"

"No." The omega pouted, but Stephen was unmoved. "You need to rest while you still can."

"Fine."

Tony had Stephen return Peter to his little hospital bed before he left.

* * *

It was the 5th time that night that Peter cried. Tony made a weak rolling motion. He was dead on his feet. For the past 3 weeks, he had been dealing with a constantly screaming baby at all hours, day and night. He had pulled all-nighters before, but this was a whole new level of sleep deprivation.

"I've got him."

"Thanks."

He really meant it. Stephen had brains to open in the morning, but he still helped. And where he used to come home, read a book or go through some research articles, now all he did was walk in, eat and sleep. Tony was pretty sure he napped at the hospital too. Tony was on maternity leave, but Stephen didn't want to take time off.

Tony briefly woke up again when the mattress dipped with his partner. He wanted to apologise. He had been about to do it a few times, but it always felt awkward. He should have probably apologised. Peter wasn't Stephen's son. Stephen wasn't even dating Tony, he was just his government-issued mandatory partner. Peter wasn't his duty.

The alpha seemed to be already asleep and he really didn't want to wake him up. Maybe the next day.

* * *

Some months later, Tony woke up to the distant sound of a piano. 

It wasn't really what roused him, but it was enough to prevent him from going back to sleep right away. Did he want to get up? Not in the foreseeable future. He patted the bed for his living source of warmth. Empty. 

Wait. Piano = Stephen. 

‘Ah, ok. Baby has adult.’

The omega rolled over, pulled the blanket over himself and fell back asleep.

He woke up well rested for what felt like the first time in ages. He was pretty sure there were rays of sunshine on him and he could hear birds chirping in the distance. It was ethereal.

After a short shower and brushing his teeth, he made his way to the kitchen. Stephen was tinkering with Peter's formula, humming a song. His hair was messy and he had deep bags under his eyes. Still, he smiled at his omega when he saw him. Tony felt like he'd been punched with affection and guilt.

"I'm so sorry. I slept in. I-"

"It's okay,” Stephen replied. “I let you sleep on purpose."

"Thanks, but-"

"No buts. Relax. Here." He gave Tony the bottle. "I think he misses you."

"Okay. Really, just... thanks."

Stephen nodded with a tired smile, opening the fridge. There was some leftover pizza, which he picked up. 

Tony headed towards the nursery. Peter squealed happily when he saw him.

"Hey, Peter. Mama's here. Come. No eating in bed." He sat on the couch with his son and held his bottle, heart filling with love. He kept talking. "Is it good? I wonder if it doesn't get boring, eating the same thing for every meal. Though the doctor said we will first start giving you soft stuff like yoghurt and I'm really looking forward to that. I wonder what you'll like."

Peter kept drinking, watching him and he was definitely paying attention. When he was done, Tony had to pull the bottle away. Was Peter starting to hold it on his own?

As always, the boy was soon crying for a diaper change. Tony mentally wondered when he could begin potty training him.

When Peter was finally warm and asleep, Tony went to cook something (look at him, cooking! He was way too well-rested). The kitchen was empty. No alpha. Tony searched around the house, eventually finding Stephen in bed, flopped down on his front, seemingly asleep. Tony smiled softly and put a blanket over his partner, then tucked him in. Not even a wince. The alpha was completely unresponsive.

Despite the baby screaming his little lungs an hour or so later, Tony felt like they could do this.

* * *

Their first Christmas "together" had been barely a month after they'd moved in, so they'd spent it with friends. Now, there was a 6-month-old baby crawling around, so they agreed to celebrate it together. Even if Peter didn't remember it later, Tony wanted this for his son.

They spent the whole day opening the little one's gifts from their friends and making sure Peter didn't eat anything he shouldn't. Though Tony soon discovered that the moment Stephen began playing the piano, they didn't need to watch Peter anymore (eternal cheat). His boy went to the alpha and Tony dragged the toddler chair from the kitchen. Peter was still a bit small for it, but they improvised some belts and left him there. He seemed to enjoy his vantage point, squealing with the music.

Stephen sang carols and looked after Peter while Tony finished cooking. When the little one fell asleep in the evening, the two of them retreated to their bedroom to exchange gifts.

Tony opened the small box first, revealing a pendant. It was circular in shape, with a triangle in the middle, and looked mechanical. It opened to show two pictures. One with Tony and Peter (one of many) and one with Tony and Stephen (one of few).

"The chain is nothing special," Stephen explained. "You can move the pendant to the one you're already wearing if you want."

"It's beautiful."

"I didn't know what to get you..."

"It's perfect."

"Turn it around."

On the other side, there was a tiny engraving.

_Stephen Strange_  
_Christmas 2019_

"You said you wanted Peter to have something from me," the alpha said slowly, looking at the gift, "I wanted you to have something from me too."

"It's made of silver," Tony noticed.

"Yes."

"Thank you." He hugged the other, then clipped the chain around his neck. Stephen had been right, he was going to move the pendant to the silver chain from his mother, but the gesture was symbolic for the time being. "Your turn."

"Ok... oh, my God!"

It was a watch. Stephen hadn't even opened the box yet, but he recognized the company. Bulgari.

"I saw your collection. Don't pretend you couldn't have afforded this," Tony defended.

"I got you a pendant."

"Yes, but you put more heart in it than I thought you had available, so we're even."

Stephen briefly glared at him, but he still opened the box. His eyes widened. He was gentle as he took the watch, handling it with as much care as he handled Peter.

"It's beautiful."

Tony made him turn it around. Of course, engraving.

_PJS, TS: Time will tell what we are to each other._

"We were rather uninspired with the initials," Stephen admitted.

"PES is not better. It's one snooze away from piss," Tony retorted.

"True. I no longer feel bad about the gift. Mine wasn't subtly loaded with a difficult conversation," Stephen added.

"I don't want to ruin your Christmas. We don't have to talk tonight," Tony offered. "But I am thinking about it and I won't lie, there is a right answer that will guarantee my staying with you. But there is no wrong answer that will make me leave."

Stephen nodded, setting the watch.

"I'm sorry I sprung this on you."

"You're getting impatient. It makes sense," Stephen acknowledged. He fiddled with the watch, not saying anything for a few moments. Tony waited for him to come to a decision. Eventually, Stephen looked up with a new expression on his face. "Can I kiss you?"

The omega smiled so widely it almost split his face in half. Finally.

"Yes. Of course." He shifted his body closer to the other, almost vibrating with anticipation.

Stephen put a hand on his cheek and slowly leaned in. It was like he hadn't made up his mind if _he_ wanted that. Tony met him halfway, trying not to seem too eager. 

_Too soon_ , Rhodey's voice chastised in his head. _What about Steve?_ It had been a year. _What if he was just rebounding?_ He wasn't. Stephen had been nice and kind in his own way and he'd helped bring Peter into the world. Thoughts of him had easily replaced those of Steve. Tony was ready to move on.

Their first kiss was rather chaste, exploratory. There wasn't any of the heat Tony had grown accustomed to, no fire burning in his loins. Instead, his heart fluttered, as if woken up. His eyes slid closed on their own accord and his lips danced with his partner's. Stephen was a slow kisser, unhurried. They somehow parted by mutual agreement, like their dance had obviously ended.

"Oh," Tony said. Eloquently.

"Bad?" Stephen asked, tilting his head to the side. This was an unexpected reaction.

"No. Surprisingly good, actually." Tony licked his lips. "Again?"

Stephen chuckled fondly and leaned back in. He kissed differently from what Tony was used to. He wasn't hurried or heated. He wasn't pressing for more. He kissed just for the sake of kissing, not like kissing was a prelude to-

"Holy shit, you're a heat alpha!" Tony said, suddenly pulling away. Stephen straightened, assessing. Was it a good thing in Tony's eyes? "Rural Nebraska should have clued me in. But- nevermind... wow, umm, ok." He was an idiot. How could he not have noticed? Stephen never asked for more from their relationship and he didn't seek physical fulfillment elsewhere either.

"Does it bother you?" Stephen asked, confirming his suspicion.

"No." Tony frowned, thinking. "Not really. I've just never been with a heat alpha before." But it suddenly made sense. Heat alphas were either incapable or unwilling to have sex outside heats (Tony wasn't about to ask which one Stephen was). They just weren't interested. It explained a lot, like how Stephen had never tried to coax Tony into being intimate like most alphas did with their partners. It wasn't that he didn't find Tony attractive. He simply didn't have a sexual need. Not really. He was just... goal-oriented. Huh. "What do you like?"

Judging from the look on Stephen's face, it was the first time someone had actually asked him that.


	6. First heat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here comes the smut!
> 
> Warning: smut, First Time, Mating cycles/In heat, Child Abandonment

"Fuck, fuck..." Tony arched his back, hands fisting in the other's hair. His legs tensed, but they were held down by the alpha currently between them. The omega was lying on his back, flushed red because of his heat and covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

Stephen pulled back to check on him, lips swollen and parted open. His blush was more contrasting on his pale skin. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the smell of omega heat invade his senses. An unbidden moan escaped his throat.

"You ok?" Tony panted. He was rewarded with a smirk.

"I should be the one asking that question." The alpha moved up, peppering kisses on the other's neck while he caressed his body teasingly. "Ready for more?"

Tony nodded.

"Where'd you put the condoms?"

"Bag."

Tony whined when the alpha suddenly vanished, leaving him cold and alone. He'd gotten used to the warmth on top of him.

Stephen returned quickly and settled back between his partner's legs. He slid the condom on, then leaned over Tony.

"You want me to roll over?" the omega offered. That was the traditional position.

"No. Like this." Stephen intertwined their fingers. "Just like this." He wanted something different for their first time. They could do that later, during a harsher heat wave.

"Ok. Ok."

Tony whined loudly when his alpha finally mounted him. His heat had been pleasant so far. He'd been nervous about spending it with Stephen for the first time, to be honest, for more than one reason. As the pre-heat symptoms had hit, the alpha had been comforting and helpful, but that wasn't what Tony was used to. He was used to kisses and pre-heat sex, not back rubs and warm tea (no coffee, a travesty). Then Stephen had left to take Peter to Pepper, who had volunteered to look after him while his mother was busy.

* * *

He'd bought the condoms as soon as he'd felt the first hint of heat, which meant roughly a week in advance. Stephen had frowned at him at first, but he hadn't said why. Tony had learned by then not to press and he'd gotten his answer that night, after Stephen had put Peter to bed.

"I have a son of my own," the alpha had whispered, watching the boy from the doorway. 

Tony had been leaning against the door frame on the other side, but the new information made him almost snap his neck with how quickly he'd jerked his head to look at his partner. What? How? When? Why? He stood silent, though every part of him wanted answers.

"I didn't... want him," Stephen admitted quietly. "I didn't plan for him. I was tricked by my then partner. She'd poked holes into the condoms."

The omega didn't say anything. He almost didn't breathe, afraid that any wrong word would make Stephen retreat into himself. Indeed, he was tense, arms crossed over his chest, gaze fixed on Peter.

"I... I signed off my parental rights before he was even born. I just got the gender when she threw a fit." She'd come at the hospital after he'd given up his parental claims. "Nothing more. I don't know his birthday. I think he would be 5 now? The law says that if I deny contact or child support, I have no access to any information regarding them. And I have a restraining order on her." For stalking, mostly.

Tony opened his mouth, but his brain didn't load. What was there to say? Stephen had made his choice.

"You must think I'm horrible to have abandoned my son like that. I don't have an excuse. I was young and anything that got in the way of my career was a nuisance, not to mention that I really didn't get along well with her." She had been after his money. "I just... I look at Peter and realise it's not that bad. Just the wrong partner."

Still silence. Tony could almost feel his neurons heat up with how hard he was thinking. He'd never imagined that Stephen would be an absent parent. He'd been good to Peter. 'But he was tricked, right?' Tony and Steve had agreed to try for Peter (that hadn't turned out well either, but it was beside the point). To force an alpha into parenting? Yeah, Tony understood Stephen's reasoning. He'd outsmarted the mother. Sure, his choice made him a horrible, heartless person in regards to the child, but he got off light, materially speaking. The downside was a heavy conscience.

"Please say something. You're usually a chatterbox."

The omega looked at Stephen's face and found him staring back with guilt. It was a new face, instantly Tony's least favourite. 

"You're not horrible." Not the best answer. Not the worst, either. "I'm not saying you did the right thing, but you're not a villain." He grabbed the alpha's hand and pulled him away from the door, into a hug. Stephen had returned it...

* * *

Their bodies moved together, getting acquainted and reacting to each other. Stephen seemed intent on drawing it out. Tony had a different idea. It was just the first wave, after all.

"Alpha, please..."

"Shh, almost there..." Still, he gave the omega what he was asking for.

Tony's release was explosive, but hey, he was in heat, no bonus points to Stephen. The alpha pressed down on him, growling in satisfaction. Huh. Tony could count on one hand the number of times he'd heard Stephen growl. Feeling his chest vibrate while pressed against his was a foreign, yet not unpleasant experience. He tried to move his hand. Nope. Still connected to the alpha's. Like every single part of him.

"Hm..."

"Our first kiss scored 'oh'. Is 'hm' above or below that?" Stephen asked from where he had tucked his face into Tony's neck.

The omega chuckled.

"Mhm, somewhere close."

"I hate you."

"You break my heart saying that during a heat."

"You're impossible."

"And you are messing up everything I thought I knew about this world. So hush."

"Elaborate." Stephen gasped when Tony purposely squeezed around him.

"You're a great kisser. And, for a heat alpha, you're pretty good in the sack too."

"For a heat alpha? Really?" Stephen pushed himself up to glare at the petulant omega.

"Yeah. I mean I've seen better, but practice makes perfect, so I guess I can let this slide-"

"Unbelievable." Stephen rolled his eyes and flopped back down. Tony laughed and wrapped his arms around him.

"I was joking," he assured.

"I know. But you're still sleeping on the couch."

"Why?"

"Because since my best wasn't good enough, I have deduced that you're impossible to satisfy, ergo I give up on trying to please such a demanding omega."

Tony made a wounded noise in the back of his throat.

"You would abandon me like this? In the middle of a heat?"

"I'm not abandoning you. I'm giving you a chance to find someone you'll actually enjoy. I'm even volunteering to go outside with a sign saying 'My omega needs a good knot'."

Tony lifted his head to give Stephen an offended look. The alpha narrowed his eyes. They stared at each other for a few moments, then burst into laughter at the same time.

"Seriously now," Stephen eventually said, after they'd both calmed down.

"It's good. Don't worry."

"Good." Stephen seemed to be weighing the word. "I'll take it."

He dragged a blanket over both of them, then they both drifted off, saving their energy for the next heat wave. Tony kept his arms loosely wrapped around the alpha on top of him.


	7. Simple

"What are you doing?" Stephen asked a few days later when he was rudely forced awake. Tony had his head on his alpha's shoulder, drawing random patterns on his belly with his fingertips. The soft touches had woken Stephen up.

"I told you I like touching. You said it was ok," Tony reminded.

"Not when I'm sleeping in on my day off," the alpha grumbled.

"Well, you're awake now."

Stephen didn't have an argument against that. He also didn't want to get out of bed or move in general.

"Fine."

He was patient as he waited for his partner to get bored, which was starting to seem less and less likely as time went on. Tony was determined to enjoy this rare opportunity, sliding his hand all over the place. Slowly. It wasn't sexual, but it was enough to keep the alpha awake.

"Does this bother you?" Tony eventually asked.

"Not really. It's just distracting." Stephen's eyes had slid closed, but he couldn't sleep while his body was being explored. He wasn't used to this and his instincts couldn't seem to decide whether they felt threatened or happy. Stephen wasn't used to being touched in general. He usually rejected it, aware that it was equivalent to foreplay from most of his partners. But Tony didn't want anything. Stephen trusted him not to ask for what he wasn't willing to offer. It was a new feeling.

"You could tell me to stop."

Tony too wasn't used to touch not leading to sex. Alphas were usually horndogs and Stephen was the complete opposite. Tony was taking his time, exploring this touch without sex dynamic. He wasn't sure how much sex meant to him in general, but he knew he needed physical affection. He was trying to learn to differentiate between the two.

"I'm awake already. It would be pointless." Stephen turned his head to the side, offering more access when Tony traced his collarbone. The omega took it as an invitation and moved upwards. His partner had a long, nice neck. How hadn't he noticed that before?

"I want to mark you on my next heat." Repeatedly.

"Hmm... ok." Stephen's eyes slid open, though they stayed unfocused, trained upon the ceiling. He rolled his head back when Tony reached his cheek. The omega rubbed his lower lip with his thumb. "Kiss?"

"Yes, please."

Tony stretched up to press his lips against his alpha's for a short kiss. The position was uncomfortable for both so that would have to do. He settled back down, arm wrapped around Stephen's waist.

"Don't do this unless you want to wake me up."

"Ok. But did you hate it?"

Stephen used to touch Tony all the time while he'd been pregnant. Now, he seemed content with as little physical contact as possible, which saddened the omega. He knew such things didn't come instinctively to his alpha, but he'd hoped, well, that Stephen would at least keep up what they were used to, not dial it down. Was no contact really what the alpha was most comfortable with?

"No." Stephen rolled his head to look at Tony, but he only saw his hair so he kissed whatever part he could reach (forehead?). He'd detected the sadness in the other's voice and scent. This meant something to Tony. "It was nice."

"So I can do it again?"

"Yeah. As long as I'm already awake."

Stephen sounded tired.

"More sleep?"

"Yes, please. And Peter's yours today."

Tony chuckled and kissed Stephen's shoulder.

"Deal. Sleep well."

Tony slept quite well for an hour. Stephen managed two.

* * *

By the time their 2 years were almost up, they had already spent a few heats together. Peter was growing up, talking a bit and walking around at this point. He slept better, so they weren't sleep deprived anymore, but his increased mobility came with some new challenges. Tony was impressed by how much patience Stephen had. He distantly wondered if Peter made the alpha think of his own lost son.

Still, with the end of their government-mandated partnership in sight, it was time for the big question. Tony, being a delicate, subtle individual, asked it.

"So I got an email today."

Stephen was reading some research articles, but he glanced at the omega.

"I assume it somehow concerns me."

"Our 2 years are almost up. I got the form."

"Ah," the alpha put his tablet down, "I see. I haven't got mine yet."

"That was totally not where I was going with this," Tony informed him flatly.

Stephen seemed confused.

"I made no secret of the fact that you're my favourite partner to date," he reminded. "So unless you do something bad or, I don't know, manipulative in the near future, we're good."

"Right."

It was simple, wasn't it?

* * *

A stupid pregnancy test made it less simple. Tony wanted to burn it, but then it would eventually become obvious and he could try to lie, but Stephen would see right through it and it would be worse.

So he kept the stupid thing.

Normally, he would have just gone to the father and waved the pregnancy test in front of his face. That would have served two purposes: gross him out and announce the pregnancy. With Stephen, though, this was a complication, to put it mildly. The timing was shit. Stephen had been sitting on that form for days, always too busy for something that would take like 2 minutes (literally just click "I want to keep my current partner"). It was obvious to Tony that the alpha was still hesitating, despite his words. This would tip the scales against Tony. And Tony hated that.

He would have loved to say that it wasn't his fault, but it sorta was? They'd run out of condoms the previous heat and while Stephen had been insistent on getting more, Tony had pretty much tackled him before he'd even buttoned his pants. The rest was history.

Stephen had picked Peter up from Steve's place (they had made peace in the end, regarding Peter. Stephen had been on Steve's side). Tony hugged his son, then changed him while the toddler babbled happily. The stupid stick felt like a 5-ton rock in his pocket the whole time.

Tony spent his evening with Peter. After the little one was in bed, he went to the living room, where Stephen was looking over some medical cases.

"Something is bothering you," the alpha noticed.

Tony froze in the middle of the room. He felt like there were spotlights aimed at him, blinding him.

"What is it?"

"Before I tell you, can you complete that form?" The alpha's eyes narrowed at him.

"No," he said decisively. Tony gulped. Alpha voice, although dulled in the modern age, was still intimidating. "Tell me."

Tony hesitated at first, but he could tell that Stephen was getting annoyed, so he dug into his pocket and went towards the other, showing him the stupid stick. He watched the alpha's face quickly go through several emotions (had the first one been joy?), eventually settling on “pissed”.

"This was what you afraid to tell me?" he hissed. He would've been happy, but why would Tony be afraid to tell him? Was he really that threatening to his omega? "It falls right under 'manipulative', Tony!" Why would he withhold such a wonderful, important piece of information until after Stephen had completed the form?

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" the omega complained. "I didn't mean for it to happen and I know it works the opposite way with you! You've already shown that it doesn't work!"

"What?" Stephen's blood froze.

"Your son. If his mother couldn't keep you, isn't it obvious this will make you leave, too?" he asked, putting a hand on his belly for emphasis. "That's why I didn't want to tell you."

Stephen looked like he'd been slapped. So that was why? Tony thought… Stephen stood up and took a few steps away from his partner.

"I told you that because it haunts me," he explained, "because I regret it. And you..." He shook his head, looking away. "You think I'd do it again." His gaze was cold when he turned towards his partner. "Is that really the sort of monster you think I am?"

With that, he stalked towards the kitchen.

"Stephen-"

"Don't."

Tony didn't follow him.

* * *

A few hours later, the omega figured his partner had calmed down and went into the kitchen. Stephen had a big pot boiling on the stove. He was poking at his phone, sitting on a wooden chair.

"I'm sorry," Tony began, hesitantly approaching. "Please tell me you didn't fill in that stupid form now."

"I did it this morning," Stephen admitted evenly. "So I'm stuck with you. Congratulations. You worried for nothing."

"I didn't mean-" Tony stopped. He did mean it like that. "Look, I'm scared. I care about you and I want to be with you, but I don't always understand you."

"We had unprotected sex. This was a possible consequence."

"So we're on the same page," Tony concluded hopefully.

"You say you like me and you care about me, yet you believe me capable of abandoning my children in a heartbeat." Apparently, they weren't. "You thought pregnancy would make me leave, despite everything I've been telling you. I don't know how to feel about that."

There was no correct answer to that so Tony chose silence. Stephen kept talking.

"You can feel that strongly for a monster?"

"Please stop using that word."

Stephen scoffed but switched gears. He visibly softened before speaking again.

"You know what the worst part is? I did think this was possible. And I wanted it. But this isn't how I imagined finding out."

"Oh." For some reason, those words filled the omega with happiness. He went to the seated alpha and put his hands on his shoulders. Stephen placed his on Tony’s hips. "How did you imagine it?"

"A few ways. A text at work, for one, but I think you're the live type. A pregnancy test on the table, maybe. Or you calling me from the bathroom. I had some cute scenarios of riddles, but you're not the type, are you?"

"Not really." Tony smiled, trailing a hand to Stephen's cheek. "But, for future babies, I'll keep that in mind." He hesitated. Did Stephen want more children?

"I would appreciate it."

How many more? That was a question for another time. For the moment, they were good. Stephen pulled Tony closer and leaned forward to rest his cheek on his omega's belly. They were great.


	8. Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Miscarriage, Mentions of drugs

They were good, but baby Tomato wasn't. Tony was 2 months along when he miscarried. This time, it wasn't just a close call. It was an actual blood bath, with sobbing on the toilet and a later visit to the ob-gyn. And it was a mess. Again.

Peter was with Steve for the weekend, giving them a chance to mourn in peace. Tony took a shower, feeling utterly and completely betrayed by his body. They had no idea what had gone wrong, but his ob-gyn claimed it happened more often than they would expect. Stephen had been rather quiet so far and Tony had learned by now that his alpha was doing his best not to put his foot in his mouth, processing his feelings at his own pace.

Screw that, Tony needed his alpha. He went to the bedroom, where Stephen was working on something in bed.

"I can't do this," Tony said. "Tell me what you're thinking, even if it hurts me."

Stephen appraised him for a few moments, then slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, crossing his legs with his hands on his calves. He sighed.

"I'm thinking: of course you would lose my baby."

He could have fired an arrow through Tony. The omega had been looking for mutual misery and comfort, not blame. Blame! They would never make it if that was Stephen's modus operandi.

"What?" Did Stephen think he miscarried on purpose? That he got rid of their baby deliberately? Or worse, did he think that Tony had an abortion? What the fuck? Why would Tony do that? Why would he get rid of something they both loved? Why would he destroy their dream? "I'm going to need more than that." He was trying to rein in his rage and hurt.

"Well..." The alpha shifted awkwardly, looking down. "You're obviously capable of carrying to term, so it's not your problem. If it's not you, it's me." He covered his face with his hands. "I'm just sorry I dragged you down with me."

Tony's anger vanished as if blown away by the wind. He reached for a wrist, but Stephen returned them to his lap, still in anguish.

"Stephen..."

"Isn't it obvious? I'm not good with people. Never have been. My work is what I'm best at, the only thing I've ever been good at." He shook his head. "I'm so sorry I've been leading you on. You deserve better.”

"Hey, stop. This is just a bump in the road. There's no need to do something radical." Tony sat down next to his alpha and took a hand in both of his.

"Is it? Tony, I'm... I'm broken. There's just something missing and I was ok with that, focusing on my career and all, I thought I had everything I needed, but then I met you and I hoped- I hoped and that was a mistake. I don't think I know how to have a family. Every time I come close, I just- I mess up."

"Don't say that."

"I'm the reason my sister died." The omega didn't know how to respond, so Stephen elaborated. "I was supposed to watch her. That's all I had to do. Keep my eyes on her and yell at her to stay away from deep waters. It took me five minutes to notice that she wasn't coming out of that stupid lake and 20 to find her. Her foot had gotten stuck and... by the time I got her out, there was nothing to be done."

"That's not your fault."

"I left for college a few years later and never looked back. My brother hates me because I left him there alone, to deal with our mourning parents, and, and his own grief. I didn't even return for their funerals."

"Stephen..."

"I left my son with that manipulative woman. I knew she was a horrible person, but I never would have thought-" he stopped, eyes teary. Tony didn't know.

"What?"

Stephen wordlessly handed Tony his phone. There was an opened email there, from the Department of Personal Relationships. Stephen had a chance to adopt his son because-

"Oh God."

-because his mother had been charged with drug possession and trafficking and was now in jail, stripped of her parental rights.

"I got this yesterday, but with the- yeah, I didn't tell you," Stephen explained. "I thought- I don't know what I was thinking, I expected her to be a decent mother at the very least."

Yeah, his mistake, how dare he expect someone to be a decent human being.

Tony just pulled him into a hug like he'd wanted to all day. It was all he could do. It was what Tony knew he needed and what Stephen didn't know he needed. The alpha squeezed him tight, trembling. It felt like everything had come crashing down on him all of a sudden. Tony just let himself soak in the mutual affection. What could he even say? Words were insufficient. Stephen needed to learn the power of human warmth, something nobody seemed to have ever taught him. They both needed it to get through this.

Later, they would talk and decide to adopt Stephen's son, Harley. Without noticing, they were already deciding their future together.

* * *

The first time he saw Harley, Tony couldn't help but notice his eyes. They'd been plucked right from Stephen's face, down to the changing colour. Sure, the shape was a bit different if one squinted, but he wasn't a clone. His skin was equally pale. His face had some of Stephen's sharp angles. His hair was a lighter colour, but whatever. He was thin, but that was going to change if the adults had any say in it.

The boy seemed intent on finding the quietest corner of the house and occupying it. They got him set up in Peter's room, who was extremely hyped about having a big brother. Harley accepted his spot and played with the toddler, but there was wariness in everything he did.

Stephen wanted to find his ex and murder her.

Harley was very quiet for a 6-year-old. He listened to them in general and seemed intent on being as invisible as possible. It threw Tony off balance a bit, only having his hyperactive baby for comparison. Sure, he hadn't expected Harley to be ecstatic about living with them, but he wasn't even talking to Peter unless talked to.

Stephen tried to make time to take Harley to therapy. It messed up his timetable a lot, but he wanted to show that he was making an effort. The therapist assured him that it would be appreciated in the long run.

At least the boy wasn't hoarding food after a few weeks. He was surprisingly effective at making his own meals, which, while a valuable skill, told a sadder story than the adults wanted to ponder. Early on, Stephen had walked into the kitchen to find Harley making himself a bowl of cereal.

"I'm making pancakes," the alpha offered. The boy put the cereal box back as if he had been caught stealing. "You can eat cereal if you want, but I thought you'd prefer pancakes."

"Yes."

"Ok. Why are you up so early?" Stephen woke up early by habit, but for a child, that didn't make sense.

"To go to school," he explained. They had told him where his new school was and it would require a car ride to get him there. Stephen had offered to drive both kids to school/kindergarten and Tony would pick them up.

"I'm taking you to school. By car."

"Ok."

And that was it. For a long time, that was considered a long conversation with Harley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll see you all on Monday with the next chapter!


	9. Dealing with the Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter after the weekend break!

It was hard to give him space. His therapist insisted that it was the right thing to do, but it was hard. And it hurt when Harley seemed to accept Tony easier than Stephen. Even though the alpha tried to play it cool, Tony could tell. The omega wanted to help, but he didn't know how.

"Do you hate your dad?" Tony ended up asking one day. He was pretty sure he'd just broken a few therapy rules.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"He left. Mom hates him." Which were probably the only two reasons a child needed to hate someone.

"He's changed. Sometimes good people do bad things."

Harley didn't answer.

"He's trying right now. Maybe you can try to forgive him."

"That's what Bruce says." The therapist. "But mom said that if I love her, I'll hate him."

Tony stayed quiet. Love wasn't conditioned. How could he explain that without destroying the mother's image? Bruce had been adamant that they would never achieve anything by tearing her down. No matter how tempting it was.

"It's ok to love both of your parents," he said lamely.

Harley seemed to briefly consider those words, but he dismissed them rather quickly. His mom knew best, right?

* * *

With Peter and Harley, Tony had his hands full. (Peter was still young. Harley wouldn't go to Stephen for anything.) It was easy to just shove his thoughts and feelings down and live the moment, like Stephen seemed intent on doing. Tony was probably less skilled at it, though, because they still came up after the kids were in bed.

Tony hadn't really gotten over his miscarriage. His body didn't seem too traumatised, it had been an early pregnancy in the end, but that only made him feel worse. It was like it had never happened. 

His partner was of little help, which made Tony feel lonely as hell. Stephen was obviously trying, but the doctor was busy most of the time. Tony had enjoyed having the house to himself in the beginning of their partnership, but now he felt abandoned and overburdened. And he couldn't bring it up with his partner, because Stephen _was_ spending less time working and taking Harley to therapy and doing more chores around the house and… ugh!

"You look tired," the alpha said one night, sitting next to Tony on their bed.

Tony ran his hands through his hair. He wasn't tired, he was miserable, it felt like there was a hole inside him and he felt ungrateful for what he _did_ have.

"Try again."

He felt the bed shift while his partner manoeuvred to sit behind him. Steady hands settled on his shoulders. Tony moaned when they began rubbing. His alpha gave the best massages. There was just something about those hands he was so proud of.

"You can talk to me," Stephen offered. "I don't know if I can help, but I can listen."

Tony leaned into those hands, closing his eyes to let himself sink into the pleasure. He nodded but didn't say anything until the massage was over. Stephen slid his arms around the omega's waist, holding him for a moment.

"I am tired," Tony whispered. "And mourning and lonely."

Stephen's fingers intertwined over Tony's belly and he hooked his chin over his partner's shoulder.

"I just…" he moved his hands to Stephen's and stayed silent. He didn't even know how to continue.

"I can take the weekend off," Stephen offered. "Peter will be at Steve's. I can look after Harley - it might be good for us. You just call James and go out. Take a break."

"That would be lovely," Tony admitted, sighing in pleasure. Stephen kissed his neck and buried his face in it.

"I know I can't give you exactly what you need," the alpha muttered. "But I can try to help you get it. Just ask."

Tony smiled. Yeah, Stephen didn't know what to say to him, but Rhodey would. His best friend, who was more like a brother, who had been there for the worst moments in his life. He could listen to him rant about everything going wrong in his life.

* * *

"You do realise that he's outsourcing your emotional well-being, right?" Rhodey pointed out over his beer.

"I wouldn't call it that. You're my oldest friend and you know me best. Stephen is my alpha who has a lot on his plate-"

"Most of which he has moved onto yours." Rhodey sighed. "Tony, do you like this alpha that much? You're practically raising his son."

"It's more complicated than that."

"How?"

"His son hates him. This is just temporary."

"Is it?" his friend challenged.

"Yes.” Tony narrowed his eyes. “Are you trying to make me break up with him?"

"I… don't know," Rhodey admitted, leaning back. "I just think you're doing a lot for this guy. Do you think he's your forever?"

Tony shrugged. Did he? Did he see himself growing old with Stephen? Well, he wouldn't mind, that was for sure, but he wasn't exactly ecstatic about it. That didn't mean much, though. He wasn't really ecstatic about anything these days.

"He's not perfect," Tony admitted. "He doesn't always understand me. But he's trying and he's getting better at it. And I'd rather have someone who admits they're of no help than someone who thinks they know me but don't." He drained his bottle.

"You're right." Rhodey watched Tony open another beer. "Hey, slow down a bit. Don't wanna get hammered."

"Why? It's not like I'm pregnant!"

The alpha gulped. It was time to breach the big topic. When Tony started sobbing several minutes later, Rhodey realized the beer had been a horrible idea.

* * *

Stephen was reading a book when he heard shuffling at his front door. Eventually, it opened. Had Tony managed or...? Right, JARVIS controlled all the doors. Still, Harley was sleeping. He should probably check out what Tony was doing before he tripped over something.

The omega was holding on to the wall, trying to take off his shoes. It wasn't going well. Stephen went to him. The dimmed lights JARVIS had opted for showed Tony’s red-rimmed eyes and he seemed to still have some tear tracks left on his cheeks. Stephen wanted to ask, but decided against it. Not the time. Maybe in the morning.

"Need a hand?" he offered instead.

"Ugh... yeah."

The alpha aided his partner, then dragged him to their bedroom. Tony wrapped his arms around his neck, forcing Stephen to fall down in bed with him. They shifted around, trying to find a decent position. Well, Stephen did. Tony just wanted to stay glued to him. The omega ended up on top of his alpha, belly to belly.

"Kiss me like you missed me."

Stephen ran his hands over Tony's back, one stopping in his hair.

"You should drink some water."

The omega whined. Loudly. Stephen felt that stupid sound tug at all his heartstrings. His omega was in distress and worst of all, he had caused it with his refusal. He had to fix it. 

Umm… ok, he could kiss Tony. After all, it wasn't like he was taking advantage of his partner. It was just kissing, which they had done before and surely Tony wouldn't mind in the morning. If anything, rejecting his partner who seemed to need this would probably be worse.

"Kisses first," the alpha conceded.

Tony smiled and crawled up so he would be comfortable. He let Stephen guide him down, purring happily. The alpha kissed softly, initially wary of Tony puking in his mouth. His omega tasted of beer and seemed to have had more than his fair share of it. 

Stephen had intended to keep the kiss tame, but Tony whined, slipping his tongue out and past his alpha's lips. That wouldn't do. Stephen moved his hands to grip Tony better and angle his head, taking control. The omega purred softly, more than happy to surrender to his partner. 

When Stephen felt Tony's chest vibrating against his own, he began slowing down, until they were both ready to pull away from each other. Tony tucked his face against Stephen's neck, panting softly.

"You're not that drunk, are you?" the alpha muttered.

"I'm not going to throw up if that's the question."

Well, he was quite eloquent.

"Drink some water for me?"

"Ugh." Tony pulled himself up and took a sip from the bottle on his nightstand. "What is it with you and water?"

"Hydration is important and often forgotten. I just don't want you to feel too sick in the morning."

Tony took another sip. His alpha was a doctor. Maybe he was on to something.

"Now settle down and sleep."

"I hate it when you make me take care of myself," the omega complained.

"Someone has to. God knows you don't do it on your own."

Had Tony been any less drunk, he would have detected the fondness in Stephen's voice and maybe milked the moment. As it was, all he did was take the words and nod, then allow his alpha to guide him back down. Tony fell asleep with his head on Stephen's shoulder, surrounded by a sweet scent.

* * *

In the morning, Tony woke up with a mild headache, but surprisingly well-rested. His bed was empty when he patted it. No Stephen. With an enormous effort of will, he managed to open his eyes.

There was an aspirin next to a full bottle of water on his nightstand. And a note. Tony picked it up first.

_I took Harley to the park and I'll pick up Peter at 4PM. I hope you're not too hungover and you had a good time last night._   
_Dr. Stephen Strange_

Tony chuckled fondly. Only his alpha would sign a note with his full name and title.

He took the aspirin with a sip of water.

"Jarvis, time?"

"12:34, sir," came the prompt answer from the ceiling.

The omega nodded to himself. He'd initially wanted to join his alpha, but 3 hours? Nah, by the time he got there, they'd be ready to go.

"Text Stephen that I'm awake and I'll see him home."

"Very well."

"Let me know when 3PM hits. Or no, tell Stephen to grab some takeout for tonight. I'll be in my workshop until he gets home." Holy hell, he had forgotten what his workshop looked like!

He came up with two new Starkphones by the time Stephen brought the kids home.

* * *

Going to the park with his son was awkward. Stephen had known it would be awkward, but he had hoped that after the previous day, it would be less awkward. It wasn't. Harley didn't speak to him and he listened with unnatural obedience. Stephen told him to go play with the other kids and sat down on a bench, head in hands.

"Your son seems to be very polite," a feminine voice began.

The alpha looked up, then realized he was hogging the bench and slid to the side, offering the pregnant woman a seat.

"That's one way of looking at it," he replied.

"What would be another?"

Stephen shrugged, unwilling to share his situation with a stranger.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me much." He shook his head. "Which one is yours?"

"The little girl in the red dress. A rather uninspired choice for the playground, I'm afraid." Said girl was upside down on the monkey bars.

"They're too young to care and she will outgrow it soon enough," Stephen dismissed. "Unless you had plans for it, in which case I feel bad for you."

The woman winced, making him chuckle at her expense. They kept chatting, mostly about the kids. It was going well. Harley seemed to have made a few friends and Stephen was glad that his son at least seemed to be having a good time. His new acquaintance was pleasant enough to help the time pass.

Then Harley fell. Normally, Stephen wouldn’t have thought much of it, but his son hurried towards the water fountain, so the alpha decided to check it out. And apparently for a good reason, too. Harley’s knee was bleeding.

“I’m fine,” the boy assured.

“You’re not.” 

Stephen had packed up some water and a first aid kit for the playground. He washed and disinfected the wound, then patched it up. Meanwhile, an omega was dragging his kid towards them.

“I’m so sorry. My son pushed yours.”

“He pushed me first!” the other boy defended.

“Did you?” Stephen asked, ignoring the scolding in the background. The other parent didn’t seem to believe that.

Harley hesitated, eyes wide and drifting to each of them, then nodded, looking straight at Stephen.

“That’s not very nice of you,” the alpha said.

“I’m sorry.”

The omega pulled on his son’s arm, who pouted, but didn’t need more coaxing.

“I’m sorry too.”

“I’m really, really sorry this happened,” the mother apologised. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“No, we’re good here. I’m a doctor,” Stephen informed. “Do you want to stay more?” he asked Harley. His leg would be fine. It was little more than a scratch, but it had needed bandaging to contain the bleeding. As long as he didn’t fall again, it would be fine. And Stephen had enough supplies to bandage it again if it slipped off.

“We can stay?”

“Yeah.” Stephen pretended his heart didn’t break when Harley stepped away from him as soon as he let go of his leg. “We can stay for one more hour.”

“Ok. Thank you.”

* * *

His acquaintance seemed to have an opinion about the look on his face, but she just rested a hand on her belly and asked him if he had other kids. Stephen was grateful for the consideration.

Later, in the car, on their way to Steve’s, Stephen noticed that Harley was staring at him.

"I'm not angry with you. You shouldn't have- why did you even push him anyway?" the adult asked.

"I… he was in my way." It was an obvious lie.

Stephen growled lightly. The boy paused, seeming to struggle with something.

"I didn't push him," he finally said.

"Then why did you say you did?" Harley muttered something. "What was that?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Of course I would've believed you over the other boy!" Stephen parked the car and turned towards Harley. "You're my son, not him. I'll always believe you over other kids."

That seemed like a new concept.

"Oh. Ok."

Stephen waited for more to come, but the boy stayed quiet. With a sigh, he began checking the traffic to return to the first lane, steering left. He almost had a heart attack when Harley said:

"I'm sorry I lied to you, dad."

His son had never called him that before. He called Tony by his name and generally didn't address Stephen directly. Bruce had warned him that it would happen sooner rather than later, but Stephen hadn't believed him. The therapist had also asked him not to make a huge deal out of it, to act like it was natural. Easier said than done.

'Don't panic. Don't panic. Do not, for the love of God, panic.' It was a step forward, he tried to remind himself, not the end of the journey. It meant Harley acknowledged their relation, nothing more.

Stephen had to take a deep breath in before he answered.

"It's ok, son. Just don't do it again."

He took the time to shed a few happy tears before Steve answered his door, while Harley was waiting in the car.


	10. Head Over Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another heat smut chapter!

Two months after his miscarriage, Tony felt his heat approaching again. He didn’t know how to feel about that. 

After their mourning, a new baby was a question mark. Should they try again? Even though their two were already so much? It seemed logical that they would keep trying after a miscarriage. He'd wanted that baby. He'd loved little Tomato. He’d mourned their death. He still wanted a baby with Stephen.

His traitorous mind set itself pretty rapidly and quite firmly on "NO!". It was bad timing. He was still young. He had time. Maybe in a couple of years. Harley and Peter needed him right now. Good thing he wasn't pregnant anymore- 

Wait. 

Had he just-? He  _ had. _ He had just thought that. And now he couldn't unthink it. His brain had already computed and integrated the stupid thought. The worst part was that he couldn't contradict it.

Tony bought condoms. Two packages. And a revelation he wasn't ready to accept about himself.

* * *

As usual, Stephen took the boys to Steve's (all or nothing for heats, Tony had told him). While his alpha was away, the omega managed to panic himself. He was a horrible person, unworthy of being a mother or existing in general. He didn't deserve another baby. Ever. That was why he'd lost Tomato. He simply wasn't worthy. He was too evil. Too rotten.

Stephen seemed completely unaware of his inner turmoil. As soon as he returned, he was on Tony, kissing him deeply. The omega slid away, confusing his partner.

"What is it?"

"I... are we trying for a baby?"

"No. It's too soon for your body. I saw the condoms. We're good." Stephen returned to his omega and kissed his neck, hands to his hips. Tony let him, aware that denying him any contact would be cruel to both of them and easy to misinterpret. 

He wasn't rejecting his alpha, he was just stalling. He didn’t want to hurt his partner. He just wanted to talk. For the time being, the omega was more disturbed than horny.

"I need to talk to you."

The alpha growled in frustration, but didn't withdraw. If anything, he pressed even closer.

"Can it wait?"

"Sure, if you want me to start crying while you're knotting me," Tony warned. Heats were very hormonal experiences. With how he was feeling, it was more than likely that he would end up bawling.

Stephen froze, then slowly pulled away. Of course he wouldn't want that. Heats were supposed to be bonding experiences between partners. Positive bonding experiences. He didn’t want to see his partner cry in general, much less during such an important moment between them.

"What is it?" 

Tony sighed. He knew he couldn't stall much longer - his heat was picking up and Stephen was obviously affected. His cheeks were getting flushed and the usually composed alpha was fidgeting. The restless energy was even obvious in his eyes, the blue quickly being pushed aside as his pupils dilated. That was without even looking down at the obvious bulge in his pants.

"I thought of something horrible." Tony gasped when Stephen pushed him towards their bedroom. The alpha's touch left his skin burning.

"Tell me what it is while you're stripping. Jesus, you should've talked to me before I left," he complained.

"Do you want another baby?" Tony asked while he was throwing his clothes off.

"Fuck, Tony, I told you it's too soon." The alpha knelt in front of his mate, looking into his eyes while he was taking off his pants. When had Stephen stripped? Did he just teleport his clothes off? "And do you really want that now?"

"No, and I feel terrible that I'm glad we're not having a baby anytime soon. Am I a monster?" he blurted out, gasping at the kisses the other was placing over his thighs and hips

Stephen sighed, stopping with his mouth pressed to Tony's hipbone. He pulled away, speechless. Tony used the short pause to relocate to the bed, falling on his back. Stephen followed.

"You're not a monster because your feelings aren't textbook right." He kissed his omega. "Shit, bad idea." He didn't want to part from those lips.

He forced himself not to think about Tony lying naked under him, legs parted. All Stephen wanted to do was fuck his omega. His brain was running on fumes. No, damn it! He needed to focus. His partner needed him rational. 

"You're not a bad person because you're glad you don't have more on your plate."

"This is a baby I'm talking about, Stephen! Not a project!"

"And you have two, whom you're practically raising on your own, one of which needs more attention than others his age. Tony, you're a great person and it's ok." He kissed the omega on his temple. "It's really ok. Don't hate yourself for it. You're a wonderful mother to the children we actually have, who live here. No one would fault you."

Nice words, comforting and all, but Stephen was missing the mark. Still, further delay would be pointlessly cruel.

"Thank you." Tony wrapped his legs around his waist. "Did you get the condoms?"

Stephen slid one on before slamming into his omega with a grateful groan.

* * *

The heat went well... mostly. 

Tony still cried at a certain point because his thoughts overwhelmed him. He couldn't help it. Heats were a mess and they amplified everything, especially since he'd been shoving down his feelings lately. 

However, having told Stephen what was plaguing him helped. The alpha didn't panic or pester him uselessly. He just wrapped his arms around the omega and slowed him down. Tony had been riding him, but Stephen grabbed his hips and stilled him when he’d seen the tears. The alpha guided his mate’s head to rest on his shoulder and contented himself with the friction he could produce from the bottom, grinding his hips into the other’s. 

Tony could feel a strong hand on his ass, steering him into the right angle. Stephen was whispering sweet nothings into his ear. It was comforting and Tony didn't feel ashamed of himself for the tears rolling down his cheeks. In fact, he felt more connected to Stephen than during other heats. He'd shown his vulnerable side and his partner was a strong, steady presence, offering comfort and guiding him through the height of his heat.

"It's ok. Let it out… there you go, good omega..."

Tony hadn't thought himself capable of cumming while sobbing, but it happened and it was surprisingly cathartic, albeit exhausting. He didn’t even have the energy to thank his partner. He just trembled in Stephen's arms until the next wave.

* * *

After the heat finally ended, they were both lying in bed together, panting. Tony could feel his body rapidly cooling down. He heard Stephen take off the condom and tie it, then felt the bed shift with him. As per usual, the alpha returned with a blanket and some water. After he tucked Tony in, he made him drink before he joined him under the blanket. (Stephen was very particular about hydration during a heat. Tony had to reluctantly admit that it helped him feel less dead in the morning, though it was a mood killer most of the time.)

To his surprise, the alpha curled himself close, spooning Tony. Stephen seemed to be in his usual drowsy post-heat mood, but he was making an effort to show affection.

"You're not a monster any more than I am," he muttered with his nose squeezed against Tony's nape, his voice rough with exhaustion. "You're loving, kind and the boys are really lucky they have you. You found it in yourself to love a pup who isn't related to you at all."

"Stephen..."

His steady hands settled on Tony's belly. His  **empty** belly. They were both depressingly aware of that, but Stephen kept talking.

"I think it just wasn't the right time for our baby. We're not ready yet for a new one. We have those old ones right here who need us, you. And it is, logically speaking, a good thing that you can focus your energy on them. I know you blame yourself for thinking like that, but that's your logical, engineer brain. Your mom brain is the one feeling bad," he assured.

"Thank you." Tony really meant it. He hadn't really thought about it like that.

As a mom, it was easy to lose himself, but he was an inventor, an engineer before anything. Most importantly, he was a scientist. He needed cold logic. And if that part of himself sometimes coughed up bad things, it didn't mean he was a bad person. It didn’t define him. He was the sum of his traits, all equally important, but none overwhelmingly dominant.

"That helped." He could kick the stupid though to the curb now.

"You're welcome." Stephen cuddled him closer before drifting off to sleep. Tony soon followed, lulled by the even breathing of the alpha behind him.


	11. Family

"Dad, do you love me?"

Stephen felt like he'd been tackled. He'd just picked up his son from therapy and, once in the car, the boy had dropped the big question.

"Yes. Of course."

A short pause followed as though he'd just said something earth-shattering.

"Why?"

"Love doesn't need a reason. You're my son and I love you." He stopped at a red light and looked at the boy, smiling.

"You left."

The alpha winced. Perhaps Harley lacked the word 'abandon' in his vocabulary, but the intent was there. And who could blame him? His father had walked out and seemingly didn’t look back, then he’d suddenly popped up out of nowhere and acted like everything was fine.

"Sometimes we do things we regret. I'm really sorry I left. I won't do it again. This time, now, I'm here to stay," he promised.

Harley seemed to weigh his words. Stephen noticed the green light and moved on.

"Can I have ice cream?"

The first demand the boy ever made. And he would have to say no. The alpha sighed. He wanted him to be comfortable with them. He didn't want him sick.

"It's cold outside. How about a Snickers?" Deflection. Always a viable strategy. "Or a cake?"

"Strawberry cake?"

Did that even exist?

"Sure, we can look for it."

He texted Tony to send him the grocery list.

* * *

It turned out that strawberry cakes existed and were much cheaper than Stephen thought. Harley seemed impressed by how full their cart was and he kept asking about various things in it. Stephen tried to keep up and answer. Eventually, though, the boy seemed to draw a conclusion.

"Are you rich?"

Not one to beat around the bush, huh?

"Well, yeah." Not checking the price tag was a luxury, in the end. It didn't feel like it in his government-mandated apartment which was 40% Tony's lab, but Stephen's bank account was fat enough for him not to ask his partner to calculate their shares of home expenses. Tony, owner of a huge amount of shares at SI and head of the Research Department, seemed to feel the same.

"Can I have Skittles?"

"Yes."

"A hamburger?"

"Not today, Tony made lasagna. But yeah."

"Cheese?"

"Yes. Look, we can buy whatever food you want, but you'll get sick if you eat everything today," Stephen tried to explain. "So you can choose, say, 5 things, whatever you want, and you'll have them this week."

Harley nodded. 5 was already a lot more than he was used to. He loaded the cart with sweets and, of all things, cheddar cheese.

"Can we get a puppy?"

"I don't think so."

"Why?"

It seemed that Harley thought money was the only possible reason to deny him anything. Time to rock his world a little bit.

"A puppy is a huge responsibility. It chews on the furniture. It pees and poops everywhere. Not to mention that it can bite you if you pull on its tail."

"I can walk it."

"No, you can't. You're 7. Tell you what? We'll see when you turn 12."

The boy pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. Stephen let him have his moment of anger. God knew he was glad to see him express himself.

* * *

Something shifted after that day. It was slight at first, then, like a snowball going downhill, it got bigger and bigger, going faster and faster. Harley began to open up and talk. And he had a lot of things to say.

"That shirt is ugly."

Tony's eyes widened while Peter began laughing, falling on his back.

"Stephen! Your son is being mean!"

"What did he say?" the alpha poked his head into their bedroom. Peter was laughing while Harley looked like the sweetest angel ever. His horns were peeking through.

"He called this shirt ugly!" Tony spun around to face him. He liked that shirt. "This one!"

Stephen tried not to smile. He tried.

"Sorry to break it to you, but it is. I have been planning ways to get rid of it."

"No way! You'd take his side over me? I'm hurt!"

"Well, he's going to choose my retirement home. And he's right. Burn it." Harley was grinning when Stephen looked at him next. "We're not getting burgers tomorrow." The boy's grin fell.

"Why?"

"Because we've talked about this before. You can't be mean to people to their face. You're hurting their feelings. So unless Tony asks for your honest opinion, you shut up. It doesn't matter that the shirt is abhorrent-"

Tony threw a pillow at his alpha. What was wrong with his favourite red shirt? It was in fashion!

Still, hearing his boys laugh made the pain worth it.

* * *

“Have you ever cut someone, dad?” Harley asked him while they were watching TV one evening.

“Umm… you mean for a medical purpose?” Stephen clarified. Peter had turned towards him too, wide-eyed and amazed.

“Yes, for doctor reasons.”

“Then yes, pretty much every day,” the alpha replied.

“Really?” Peter asked. “Do you see brains?”

“Yes…?” Stephen answered, unsure. Why were they bothering with cartoons if his kids were more interested in cutting people open? “Why are you asking?”

“We were talking about types of doctors at school today,” Harley explained.

“I’m a neurosurgeon.”

“Neulo- neuro- what?” the three-year-old asked.

“It’s a composed word. Surgeon means I perform surgery or, as you so eloquently put it, cut people open. Neuro means I work with the nervous system, mostly the brain and spinal cord, but I also work with the peripheral nervous system occasionally.”

“You’ll have to make them grab a dictionary for that explanation, alpha!” Tony yelled from their room. He was going through his shirts to decide which ones were indeed making him look bad. No, Harley hadn’t been right. Tony’s shirts were all awesome. Some were just… less awesome.

Indeed, the boys looked like they had question marks above their heads. Damn cartoons…

“Peripheral,” Harley explained.

“Edges. Hands. Feet. They have neurons too, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to move them.”

Still question marks.

“TONY, HELP!”

The omega took his sweet time walking into the living room, cackling. He sat on the couch next to Stephen, enjoying his defeat.

“You kids know how the brain is that thing inside your head that makes you think.” They both nodded. “Good. You know your spine?”

“The one Stephen says we’ll ruin if we sit wrong,” Peter replied.

“Good. Inside it is the spinal cord. It’s made of thin strings that come from the brain and are all gathered there to be safe because the spine is strong and they’re thin and fragile. Then, because the spine can only go for so long, they come out and travel all over your bodies. Each string is called a neuron because doctors love their fancy names. That way, when you want to move your hand, it listens to you and doesn’t smack you for no reason,” Tony explained. “Questions?”

“Is my hair made of neurons?” Peter asked.

“No. You can’t see them.”

“Then how does Stephen cut them?”

“Usually and ideally, he doesn’t. He uses some devices to see them and cuts around them.”

“That sounds cool,” Harley concluded.

Stephen wanted to point out that, anatomically speaking, it was much more complicated than that. He also wanted to bask in the glory of his son thinking he was cool, so he kept his mouth shut.

“A wise man once said that you don’t truly know something until you can teach it to a kid,” Tony then dared state. It was an obvious challenge.

“A wise man doesn’t believe everything he sees online.”

“Who said that wasn’t all me?” Tony retorted, teasingly running his fingertips over the bite scar on the side of Stephen’s neck.

The alpha shivered, but still glared afterwards. The previous heat, Tony had bitten him right on the legendary place for the scent gland. The modern human didn’t have it anymore (so the mating bond was a moot point as well), but they had discovered that the bite itself held some value. For some reason (which the alpha refused to call instinct as he was above that), Stephen had bit Tony back moments later. 

They’d both drawn blood and yes, watching the alpha run around the house for a first aid kit as soon as his knot died down had been entertaining for Tony. For Stephen, it had been one of those things he really didn’t want to explain to anyone ever. Fortunately, the mark was at the base of his neck, where it met his shoulder, so the bandaid didn’t draw much attention. Unfortunately, it did scar (obviously) and Tony seemed proud of it (Stephen was proud of the mark on Tony’s neck too, but he would die before admitting that), purring whenever Stephen touched it, even for medical purposes.

“You’re anything but wise. Smart? Yes. Intelligent? Of course. A genius? Absolutely. But you, Tony Stark, are not wise,” Stephen retorted.

Tony huffed in offence. The alpha was playing on his natural need to be praised by his mate.

“How dare you insult and compliment me in one breath?” he complained. 

Stephen just smiled and caught Tony’s hand when the omega retreated it to press a kiss to his palm. The kids had returned to watching cartoons, so he slipped out his phone to read a few articles while the boys were distracted.

Tony returned to his shirts. He threw out a lot of them that night, but he kept the one Harley had criticised out of spite.


	12. Marriage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter completely disobeyed me, which is why it took me so long to post it. It has been an adventure in itself and I did my best. Luca can confirm that I wasn't sure whether to publish it like this... whatever. Here it is :) Hope you all enjoy it

"You're getting comfortable," Pepper noticed.

"What do you mean?" Tony was stuck in his office the whole day. That was the opposite of comfortable.

"Your alpha. You two are going to prolong your partnership, right?"

"Of course." His mouth snapped shut when he heard himself. Of course? That was a very resolute answer. It said he was sure of himself and their relationship when in fact... he actually was, wasn't he? Huh. "I think we got busy playing house."

"Are you going to marry?"

"Well, he hasn't asked, if that's the question. We haven't really talked about it. There are two pups between us, Pep. We're kinda focusing on them."

"Of course. Your sons." She smiled. "Who both need you very much. Who would appreciate stability. A real family."

Tony frowned. She obviously had a point. Her questions were reasonable. If they got along so well, why not?

"I'm just saying you're at a point in your relationship where 'more' can mean 'forever'. You can pounce on that or remain in this eternal state of limbo."

"What are you saying?"

"There are advantages to being married," she reminded. "Particularly considering our political climate. Wouldn't you want to use them?" 

Lower income taxes. Permission to buy a house. A house as big as they wanted, with as many cars as they wanted. But, most importantly, the security of knowing this was forever.

"Of course I would. But I don't know for sure what this relationship means to Stephen."

"You can always ask."

Sure, he could. And he would. Maybe. Definitely later. He didn't want to make the alpha think about it. If he wasn't ready, it would scare him off.

* * *

It was during a heat that Tony realized exactly what their relationship meant to his alpha. They had both agreed to make it to 6 years together, but the two boys playing around the house made forever seem more and more feasible.

They were going the traditional way for once, Stephen drilling Tony into the mattress. It was just a moment, a slip of the tongue most likely because Stephen sometimes did this at the height of the heat. He would hold his omega down and mutter all the things he liked about Tony while he rammed into him (adorable, really). This time, something new slipped through, between "my perfect omega", "mate" (a rather new addition itself), "so beautiful", "mine" etc.

"I love you."

The words threw Tony right over the edge. He came hard, distantly feeling the alpha following him into oblivion.

They didn't talk about it, not right away. Tony suspected Stephen hadn't even noticed the slip. The rest of the heat passed, uneventful, until they were lying in bed that night, facing each other, both exhausted and sleepy after the heat had died down for good.

"Hey."

"Hmm?" Stephen kept his eyes closed, but his hand drowsily reached for Tony. Tony loved Stephen's cute, lazy, post-heat demeanor.

"I love you too."

"I love you," the alpha responded easily. He didn't have enough brainpower left to overthink the way Tony had worded his confession.

"Let's buy a house together."

"Mhm, we'll have to get married for that." His tired mind couldn't come up with any reasons against that. Stephen curled closer to his omega. Apparently, he was going ring shopping. "Soon," he promised.

Tony fell asleep smiling. The future looked promising.

* * *

“You look stressed,” Tony told Stephen two weeks later.

It was late. The boys were asleep (or at the very least in bed) and the adults were in their pajamas, getting ready for some shut-eye themselves. They were both sitting in bed, Tony with his tablet and Stephen reading a book.

“Nothing gets past you,” the alpha replied.

Tony reached towards Stephen with a hand, testing to see if it would be welcome. His alpha accepted the small touch with a smile, leaning into it when it cupped his cheek.

“It’s been going on for a week. What’s wrong?”

Stephen shrugged, looking away. He had seemed to be getting more nervous, fidgeting and even avoiding Tony a bit. 

“I’m getting worried,” the omega warned.

His alpha sighed heavily.

“It’s not- it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Bull. Is it because I said I love you during a heat?” Tony tried.

“No. I said it first, anyway.” Stephen glimpsed insecurity in his mate’s eyes so he added, “and I meant it. I love you.”

“Then what is it?”

Why was Tony forcing the issue? Usually, he wouldn’t care. No, scratch that. He usually gave Stephen time and space to process things at his own pace.

“Can you drop it?” the alpha tried.

“I’ve been dropping it for a week. It’s obviously not solved,” his lover retorted.

At least Stephen now knew Tony’s time limit. A week. Ok, point to Tony. It was a long time to let your partner stew. Stephen fidgeted.

“Is it about me?” the omega pressed.

“It’s nothing bad, Tony.”

“If it wasn’t bad, you would’ve solved it by now.”

Stephen sighed, closing his eyes for a few moments. Tony waited. Was his alpha finally going to talk to him?

‘Is it really going to be like this?’ 

The alpha sighed and turned to look at his partner. Partner? It wasn't a fair label. It was so cold compared to what they actually were. ‘Boyfriend’ or ‘lover’ were also incomplete. He had to change that. It was time.

“Come here,” Stephen finally said.

He made Tony move to his side of the bed and sit down at the edge. The omega obeyed, his confusion growing when he saw Stephen move in front of him.

Until the alpha knelt. Oh God. Tony’s eyes went wide.

“I didn’t want it to be like this. I wanted to do something special, but I didn’t want it to be something that would clue you in. And that is harder than it should be because I haven’t been spoiling you enough,” Stephen admitted. He reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a box. “And…” He fiddled with it. “I don’t think you want it to be like this, but I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. It’s just… our relationship is simple, easy… natural. We didn’t fall in love, that’s way too brutal a term for it. Love just came gradually, like we were always meant to end up here, so maybe a grand proposal wouldn’t be fitting.”

“Soulmates?” Tony couldn’t resist asking.

“If you insist.” Stephen relaxed some. Ok, disclaimer over. He shifted a bit and opened the box. “Tony… I love you. The moment I met you, I didn’t think- I couldn’t have imagined- what you would become to me. You changed me and I’m not the only one who says so. It is unanimously agreed that you did so for the better. You upgrade me in tiny ways every day. I want to keep that forever so that maybe I can get the best version of myself, the one that can be worthy of you. Until then, while I’m still a work-in-progress, I want everyone to know that you’re mine, especially you. I don’t want you to ever doubt my commitment or my love for you and our family. Anthony Edward Stark, will you marry me?”

Tony was silent and wide-eyed, breathing heavily.

‘Stephen is- STEPHEN is- Stephen is proposing. Oh God. Oh God. You’re finally getting married, Tony, and you don’t even have to buy or build yourself a husband. He’s Stephen. He’s here. Right now. Kneeling in front of you. Oh God.’

He’d talked to Pepper about marriage, but he hadn’t expected Stephen to actually listen to him after his heat. Well, surprise, surprise! He had. The alpha had buckled up, bought a ring and was now proposing. Speaking of which-

“Tony…?” Stephen asked, growing insecure. Was Tony thinking of how to tell him to try again later?

“It appears you have broken him, doctor,” JARVIS commented with a note of amusement.

The AI’s voice pulled the omega out of his reverie.

“YES!” he screamed, jumping on his partner.

Stephen easily lost his balance and fell down, miraculously not hitting his head against his nightstand. His partner was hugging him but quickly pulled away to answer properly.

“Yes! Yes! I can’t believe you did this! Was this why you were so nervous? Fuck, Stephen, why would you even be nervous? Did you really think I would say no? I love you, you wonderful idiot! I love you! Shit, you could’ve just tossed me the ring and I would’ve said yes!”

Stephen wrapped his arms around his partner and laughed happily.

In the morning, they would tell their sons about the engagement (Peter would be surprised, Harley had been with Stephen when he’d bought the ring). They would each tell their friends and colleagues at work. Pepper would volunteer (insist) to organize the wedding. She would later accept Christine as her second-in-command. Stephen and Tony would get married at the City Hall one random day so that by the time they had the real party and religious wedding, they would be able to move into their new house. Their forever home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is the epilogue!


	13. Epilogue

"Tony, Peter took my pancake!" Harley complained.

"Well, you're 16 and he's 12," the omega retorted. "Do something."

"Well, I can fight him, but I don't think anyone wants that."

The boy had a point.

"Peter, give him back his pancake!" He'd perfected his mom voice through the years.

"But I'm still growing, mom!" His son had perfected his immunity to it.

"So is Harley. Pancake back."

Peter surrendered the pancake with a grumble.

"You really need to make more batter," Stephen commented as he walked into the kitchen. He picked up a slice of toast and nibbled on it, smiling when Tony kissed his cheek. "I’ve forgotten what your pancakes taste like."

"Here, daddy!" Morgan offered him a bite.

"You're so sweet," he told her after he swallowed. "I don't know where you get that from." He rested an arm around his mate's waist and picked another piece of toast.

"Me, obviously!" Tony boasted.

"Peter just stole my pancake, your genes s- are bad," Harley amended at his father's glare.

"Brave words for someone who is still begging for a car," Tony warned.

"Oh, come on! I'm getting my driving licence this week."

"And you are getting a car, just not a Lambo," Stephen retorted.

"Come on! Please!"

"No, we're not getting you anything that can go over 60." Ever.

"Whyyy? Don't you trust me?" For an alpha, Harley could whine.

"Not to crash? Yes. Not to drive drunk? Mostly. Not to speed in the city? Not at all," Tony explained.

"Dad!"

"Don't look at me. We agree on that," Stephen warned. "Can you swear you'll never speed if your friends dare you to?"

He didn't get an answer to that, which was as good as a confirmation.

"Can I at least pick it?" Harley had switched gears.

"Sure. We'll give you options." Tony hummed in thought, chewing on his toast. "You can even tinker with it if you want. I'll help."

"What's the point of buying him a slow car if you'll just upgrade it?" Stephen asked.

"Excuse you, I am a responsible adult and I will supervise him properly," Tony retorted.

Peter snorted.

"So if your car takes off, I'll know why," Stephen told Harley, rolling his eyes.

To his chagrin, the boy seemed excited by the prospect. Ah, the young urge to show off!

"How's Rhodey?" Stephen asked Tony, changing the topic.

"You're gonna need to do some maintenance work on that implant one of these days," the omega informed. "It's been what? 5 years?"

"Morgan was here, so that sounds right. I'll need to look at his file and see if he can handle it. His physical looked fine last I saw it, but he's getting up there in age."

"Sure."

Their kids were bickering.

"Alright, everyone! Time to go!" Tony called. He shared a kiss with his husband before they divided the kids.

Stephen drove Harley to his high school. Tony took Peter and Morgan to their school before he went to SI. He didn't work from home as much after Morgan started school. His Medical Division had taken off and was doing fine with only moderate supervision on his side. Stephen contributed a bit behind the lines, but he had his own research.

Morgan was 7. She went to the same school as Peter. His sweet girl was a spitting image of her mother, but Stephen had Harley so he didn't mind. Tony hadn't resisted when he'd found out he was pregnant and just blurted it out in front of Stephen as soon as he'd seen him. They'd been wary, worried. So worried they'd been unable to enjoy the pregnancy until the last few months. However, they had both cried when their daughter had been born and had been enjoying every moment since. Now she was all grown up, had her own room in their house and went to school with one of her brothers.

Peter hadn't presented yet, but Steve had presented at 14 so they all agreed not to worry yet. They had made sure to let him know exactly who his parents were from the beginning. Peter loved both of his sets of parents and spent time with each. He called Stephen and Bucky by name. There had been a few hard conversations when he was younger, but he had eventually understood that everyone loved him.

"Bye, mom! Love you!"

"Bye!"

Tony watched his kids run into the school with a fond smile, then drove off to work.

* * *

"I know you cherish our 10 minutes together every morning, but I could take Peter and Morgan to school too if I had a car," Harley offered. "You guys wouldn't have to work your schedule around us."

"We said you were getting a car," Stephen reminded.

"100 miles."

"Over my dead body."

"Ugh. But can I drive a Lambo with you riding shotgun?"

"Yeah. Or with Tony. Or any adult we approve of."

"Can it be the Urus?"

"Sure, whichever you want."

The boy seemed to ponder the answers for a few minutes.

"I can live with that," Harley finally muttered. His father chuckled.

Harley had grown up with them. He barely remembered his mother. Still, he called Tony by his name. It didn't bother them. The boy treated them equally, slightly favouring Stephen after he had presented. He loved them both, though he was a bit rough around the edges. Stephen supposed his son took after him.

They had gotten married when Harley was 8 and bought a house around the same time. As well as all the cars they could think of. Morgan had been born in their home. The boys grew up running around the backyard.

Stephen dropped his son off and rushed to the hospital. He had a long day ahead of him, but he didn’t mind. He loved his job. In the evening, he would get home to his family, help with the housework and spend some time with them before the kids went to bed or at least their rooms. Then it would be just him and Tony. They would either enjoy their alone time or cuddle and trade kisses until they fell asleep together.

Either way, he wouldn't trade this for anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of thanks to Luca, who has been my beta for this fic!


End file.
